Tag Archives: Norfolk Mayor Josh Moenning

Libby Seline for the Lincoln Journal Star

This story was developed as part of a UNL College of Journalism and Mass Communications depth-reporting project examining the impact of climate change on Nebraska.

This semester, the 20 students are assessing the impact of climate change on, among other things, Nebraska’s agriculture, water, livestock, wildlife, health and national security. In the fall, the focus of the class will shift from examining the problems associated with climate change to evaluating the potential range of solutions — globally, nationally, locally and individually.

By Nick Gebhart, Norfolk Daily News

RURAL RANDOLPH — Standing tall here among the crops and pastures of western Wayne County may be the future of energy production in Nebraska. The farmlands here near Randolph are the site of the Sholes Wind Energy Center, a 76-square-mile wind farm with 71 turbines that will generate 160 megawatts when the facility comes online later this year. Elected officials, including Lt. Gov. Mike Foley and Norfolk Mayor Josh Moenning, joined media and various environmental and agricultural organizations and businesses for a firsthand look at the wind farm Thursday afternoon. Continue reading here.

By Laurent Belsie, The Christian Science Monitor

NORFOLK, NEB.

Nebraska’s March flooding offers a significant test case. With an estimated $1.4 billion in damage and 81 of its 93 counties eligible for disaster aid, the state is moving to repair its infrastructure. It’s an opportunity Mayor Moenning here in Norfolk doesn’t want to pass up. “When we fix mangled highways, why not put in place the fiber optics and telecommunications infrastructure that addresses that rural broadband gap that politicians have talked about for so long?” he asks. Instead of fixing the region’s two-lane highways, why not the four-lane corridors that rural Nebraskans were promised decades ago? Let’s “rebuild electricity transmission infrastructure that helps meet growing market demands for clean energy and accommodates the renewable energy generation potential that the state has in abundance,” he adds. Read more here.

Special to the Norfolk Daily News

Approval was given Monday at the Norfolk City Council meeting regarding the state’s largest community solar project with NPPD. The project will be tied to a battery energy storage system (BESS) demonstration project expected to be in operation by mid-2020. NPPD, with support from the City of Norfolk, received a grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust in the amount of $490,000 over two years for the battery energy project, which will be the first of its kind in the state . . . “As technologies have advanced and costs have decreased, rural Nebraska is now in position to produce energy as efficiently as it does food,” said Mayor Josh Moenning.

Matt Olberding, Lincoln Journal Star

There’s been a lot of debate over wind energy projects in Nebraska over the past year, but there’s no debate over the fact that the sector is growing rapidly in the state. In fact, according to a report released Tuesday, no other state saw more growth in wind power than Nebraska. The AWEA said Nebraska wind energy capacity grew 39% last year compared with 2017. By contrast, the nation as a whole averaged 8% growth. Read more here.

Nebraska is a national leader in wind resource potential. Nebraska is one of the top states in the country for potential wind energy generation, with a technical potential of approximately 465,000 megawatts (MW) according to NREL. Nebraska now has 1,972 MW of installed wind power and ranks 14th in the nation for installed capacity. Harnessing more of Nebraska’s wind potential could make the state a powerhouse for the wind industry while providing savings for electricity customers.

Special to theNorfolk Daily News

More than 200 mayors representing cities in every U.S. state have signed on to Environment America Research & Policy Center’s “Mayors for Solar Energy” letter, embracing a collective vision for solar-powered communities. Norfolk Mayor Josh Moenning is one of two representing Nebraska, along with Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler . . . The number of signatures on the Mayors for Solar Energy letter has more than tripled since December 2017, and Environment America Research and Policy Center expects that number will continue to grow. Learn more here.

Previously Posted NPPD News Release: NPPD, Norfolk seeking grant for battery energy storage project. Funding for battery energy storage system (BESS) demonstration project is being sought by the Nebraska Public Power District and the City of Norfolk that would be tied to a proposed community solar project planned for that community in 2019.

Written by Dr. Michael Chipps, Northeast Community College President

As Norfolk Mayor Josh Moenning mentioned in a recent column in the Daily News, wind farms are providing an economic boost to this region of Nebraska by creating a larger tax base and more job opportunities. Our graduates now in the profession are telling us the same thing. Wind farms in Northeast Nebraska have allowed many of our graduates to remain close to home while earning exceptional income. Of the 57 graduates, all but twenty are employed in Nebraska, with 89 percent of them working in the industry. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the wind energy technology program, students learn a high level of hydraulics, electrical concepts, welding and mechanics, which allows them to also pursue other industrial maintenance related careers. Read more here.